Mama's Way

by Helen Ketteman, Mary Whyte (Illustrator)

Wynona longs for a beautiful new dress to wear to her graduation from sixth grade, even though she knows that her mama cannot afford to buy one for her.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2001

About the author

author and mother of two grown sons. Texas, where she lived for 9 years, is one of her favorite places and several of her books are set there. She, her husband, and their two cats currently live in Sanibel Island, Florida--where plenty of armadillos live, too.

Reviews

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story; very nice illustrations.

[Aislinn Hogan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book showed issues that may be going on at home for some family situations may not be aware of. It shed light on poverty, which is something some students may not be exposed to.

[Camille Crist · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book shows a special bond between a mother and her child and how these connections are special and important.

[Haley Boggess · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story about a girl growing up with limited funds and how her mother works hard to make her dreams come true. In the end, she realizes sometimes there are more important things than what she wanted money to buy.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very touching about a single parent family that does not have much money. The daughter is graduating and needs a white dress. A friend of hers gives her an old one, but she really wants a new dress she saw in a store. She is sad, and even offers to get a job to pay for the dress. The mother secretly works extra to earn money for the dress. She gives her the money and Wynona is very grateful. However, while she is babysitting her brothers, one of them breaks her wrist. Wynona is just like her mother and self-less and thinks of her brother first. She immediately gives her money to her mother to pay for her brother's hospital bills. Her mother ends up turning the old dress into a beautiful dress. This book is good for students to see how hard parents work for them, and that we need to appreciate them.

[Finny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mommy says: Mommy loved this book!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this sweet children's picture book about a girl who wants a special dress, and the sewing mama who figures out what to do. I was sniffling by the end, much to my 6yo son's extreme curiosity.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story about give and take and helping out in a family.